Anlong Limestone Resort: China's hidden wilderness paradise

(CNN) — "When I visited Anlong County for the first time, I hiked up a small hill and in front of me stood a cliff over 100 meters high," recalls He Wei, a Beijing-based architect.

"At the bottom of the cliff lay a lush pocket-shaped canyon with a river meandering from afar and disappearing to the sinkholes. I thought to myself then, 'This place is too beautiful.' "

He, with his architecture firm 3andwich Design Studio, is behind the design and construction of the stunning Anlong Limestone Resort Tourist Center and Limestone Gallery, the only two man-made buildings inside the Anlong Limestone Resort in Guizhou, China.

Opened in 2016 with an investment of $42 million from the government, it's hosted various national and international sports events. it offers access to several extreme sports activities including rock climbing, paragliding, cave exploration, kayaking, mountain biking and hiking.

There's also a via ferrata on the side of a 165-meter-high cliffside, offering breathtaking views of the Haiwei Canyon. The Anlong Limestone Resort Tourist Center sits at the bottom of that canyon.

"The visitor center is located on a small hill," says He. "On the hill sits four groups of rocks. The shapes of the rocks are wonderful and they're an important treasure endowed by nature to the site.

"Our design hopes to keep the rocks at the original site as much as possible by interspersing the buildings between the rocks. The rocks are both the foundations of the buildings and an important feature in the views from the buildings."

The visitor center has a welcome area, a bar, a restaurant and a conference room in the complex. An elevated outdoor platform, where travelers and locals can mingle, connects the four buildings.

"We hope that the visitor center will maintain a symbiotic relationship with nature. It serves as an anchor as well as a spiritual beacon of the entire site. Architecture should integrate into nature but also wake up nature."

Anlong's hidden, floating gallery

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Located near the end of the via ferrata is another park highlight -- Limestone Gallery.

"After the project was completed, I returned to Anlong many times," says He.

"It's been a very moving experience to witness the changes of the park. It was an unknown place but thanks to the opening of the resort, the canyon is now alive with activities. It's become a weekend destination for tourists and locals alike.

"When I see tourists resting at the visitor center or locals looking out from the gallery, it gives me a sense of achievement as an architect."